Press release: New proposals for restructuring the NHS will not help improve patient care

13 Jan 2005

More restructuring for the NHS is not the right prescription for improved patient care, the NHS Confederation said today in response to the James report from the Conservative Party.

Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: "There has always been a tendency for both Governments and opposition parties to believe that the secret to improving patient care is restructuring the NHS. This means that the NHS has been in an almost constant state of reform since its inception, when what is needed is a period of relative stability."

"It is vital politicians of all parties recognise that an excellent infrastructure is a necessity for excellent patient care, with administrative and managerial staff providing the background support work that is necessary to allow clinical staff to concentrate on treating patients. The NHS spends less than 4% of its budget on management costs, and further cuts to this expenditure would cause more harm than good to health services, especially considering the savings that have already been made on intermediate spending."
"It also seems ambitious to claim that further savings can be made from organisations whose abolition has already been announced, which is what we have seen today."

ENDS

Notes for editors

The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, foundation trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; NHS boards and special boards in Scotland; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact details

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